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President Droupadi Murmu speaks during a banquet hosted in honour of EU delegates at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. (PTI)
Emphasising that the partnership between India and Europe reflects the collective aspiration of the two sides to shape a rules-based international order, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that in these times of uncertainty and conflict, India and the European Union share the responsibility of maintaining global stability.
President Murmu was speaking at a banquet hosted for the visiting EU leaders — António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission — as they concluded their three-day official visit to India.
In her address, which came hours after the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the two sides, von der Leyen said, “We do not just trade more. We invest in each other’s future.” “Our strengths complement each other. And our scale gives us global influence. Now with these agreements, we can scale even greater heights,” said the European leader, dressed in a bright yellow kurta created by Indian designers Abraham & Thakore.
Welcoming both the leaders, the President said their presence as chief guests, marking the first participation of the European Union in India’s Republic Day celebrations, holds special significance “reflecting the depth of our mutual engagement and the trust we place in one another.”
She added that India and Europe are connected not only by contemporary interests, but also by shared values such as democracy, pluralism and an open market economy. “These principles guide us in a rapidly changing global environment,” said Murmu.
“In these times of uncertainty and conflict, India and the EU share the responsibility of maintaining global stability. Our cooperation sends a clear message in support of diplomacy, multilateralism and peaceful coexistence,” she said, adding, “We view trade and investment as instruments of shared prosperity and social progress.”
Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
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